George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I thank you, Senator Reynolds, for that question. Senator Reynolds, as honourable senators may be aware, has a particular knowledge of the matters concerning national security, having been herself a former brigadier general in the Australian Army Reserve and a former adjutant general of the Australian Army. So thank you very much indeed, Senator Reynolds, for asking me that question.

It is very important that we maintain an attitude of bipartisanship when it comes to matters of national security because, as I explained yesterday and the day before yesterday and as the Director-General of Security, Mr Irvine, pointed out in his speech to the National Press Club yesterday, the level of domestic threat to Australia from terrorism, arising in particular from recent events in the Middle East, in Syria and in Northern Iraq, and the activities of the terrorist group ISIL—now seeking to establish a caliphate in Syria and Northern Iraq—presents a higher level of threat than we have seen for some time.

In that regard, I want to acknowledge and thank the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Shorten, for his remarks yesterday morning. When asked about this, he said:

When it comes to national security, Labor sees this as a matter above politics.

Mr Shorten is right. It is a good thing that he said that and it behoves all the members of the Senate to observe the injunction that Mr Shorten has given. We appreciate and acknowledge the Labor Party's bipartisan support for the important measures in which the government has embarked to keep our country and our people safe.